Under Napoleon III’s rule, Paris underwent a great rebuilding overseen by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, which created grand avenues and lavish landmarks like the Paris Opera. Antique Napoleon III–style furniture was flamboyant and eclectic. It was also known as Second Empire style since it followed and referenced the Empire style of his uncle Napoleon I.
Developing from 1852–70, Napoleon III furniture was plush and ornate, matching the fashion for masked balls and socializing in salons. It borrowed freely from earlier French styles including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI as well as aesthetics from around the world, from antiquity to Asian art. As writer Gustave Claudin remarked in 1867, the country’s architects worked in “a style which one would be tempted to call neo-Greco-Gothico-Pompadour-Pompeian.”
Napoleon III chairs were completely covered with velvet and lined with tassels; pouf footstools invited people to put up their feet. Sofas were upholstered with tapestries, and beds were adorned with gilt bronze and theatrical canopies. The addition of conservatories to homes led to new indoor-outdoor furniture, while the spirit of hygiene promoted by Baron Haussmann inspired bright, floral motifs.
Although the most ostentatious designs were for the elite, as seen in the Napoleon III apartments preserved in the Louvre, where red velvet, gilding and chandeliers create a cacophony of luxury, these trends influenced homes across classes as manufacturing made design increasingly accessible. Papier-mâché furniture allowed for elaborate shapes that would have been difficult to carve in wood. The malleable material was painted with chinoiserie patterns and decorative designs. It was mass-produced by factories such as Jennens and Bettridge with varnishing and mother-of-pearl inlays creating an effect reminiscent of Asian lacquer. (Surfaces that had been “japanned” — a specialty of Jennens and Bettridge — were intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia.)
Find a collection of antique Napoleon III decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
19th Century French Oak Buffet
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak buffet from France. The top is banded and has a beveled and hand carved decorated edge, following down to paneled sides, which...
Oak
19th Century French Dessert Buffet
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak dessert buffet from France with a lovely detailed hand carved and scalloped backsplash, over three shelves. The top is wonderfully grai...
Oak
19th Century Italian Bird’s-Eye Maple Chest of Drawers Commode
Located in Forney, TX
A stunning fine quality antique, circa 1860s/1870s Italian chest of drawers commode. Hand-crafted in Italy in the third quarter of the 19th century, influenced by Napoleon III Se...
Carrara Marble, Brass
19th Century French Napoleon III Ormolu & Marble Ebonized Cabinet Sideboard 1860
Located in Portland, OR
A splendid and extravagant 19th antique French ebonized and ormolu mounted marble top credenza sideboard cabinet, Napoleon III, circa 1860. This exquisite quality antique French cre...
Marble, Brass, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Oak Dessert Buffet
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak dessert buffet from France with a beveled and carved decorated edge around the top, over two drawers with hand carved decorated drawer fronts along with hand carved ...
Oak
19th Century French Dessert Buffet
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak dessert buffet from France. The top is banded and has a beveled and hand carved decorated edge. The top then lifts to reveal a marble serving surface, which is hel...
Marble
19th Century Mahogany Curtain-Buffet with a Marble Top
By Faubourg
Located in NICE, FR
We present you this very unique buffet, crafted from Cuban mahogany in the style of Louis XV during the Napoleon III era. Standing at the perfect height for various uses, it has two ...
Carrara Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Dessert Buffet
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak dessert buffet from France with a banded edge around the top , which also features a beveled and hand carved decorated edge. The top li...
Oak
$3,800Sale Price|20% Off
19th Century French Napoleon III "Entre Deux" Cabinet
Located in Austin, TX
Presenting a stunning 19th Century French Napoleon III "Entre Deux" Cabinet, a remarkable example of the elegance and craftsmanship characteristic of the Napoleon III era. This exqui...
Marble
19th Century Carved Oak Dessert Buffet From France
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak dessert buffet from France. On the top there is a glorious hand carved backsplash and four hand carved crown finials. There are three shelves, all with carved front ...
Oak
19th Century French Renaissance Revival Walnut Buffet
Located in Dallas, TX
19th century French Renaissance Revival Walnut Buffet is a masterpiece of the artisans around the environs of Paris who strove...
Brass
French Napoleon III Buffet Cabinet with Its Original Marble Top, circa 1820
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Napoleon III buffet, with its original marble top, from the early 19th century. This antique console from France, circa 1820's, features its original marble top over a case which houses a single drawer at top, over a pair of doors (with right door fitted with a single wreath shaped brass escutcheon), and flanked within column form front side posts with decorative brass capitals. The doors open to reveal a single shelf within and plentiful storage. The skirt is clean and linear, with sides having a recessed panel design each. The cabinet is raised on thickly rounded front legs...
Marble
$2,568Sale Price|52% Off
19th Century French Napoleon III "Meuble d'Appui" Buffet
Located in Austin, TX
This 19th-century French Napoleon III Meuble d'Appui is a stunning antique piece made of solid walnut and adorned with beautiful golden molds. With its e...
Walnut
Antique French Napoleon III Buffet Vitrine, Marble Top
Located in Senonches, Centre-Val de Loire
Antique French Napoleon III style buffet vitrine topped with a black marble. Three doors with adjustable shelf, three dovetailed drawers and two keys, one for drawers and one for doo...
Marble
High buffet In Marquetry, Napoleon III, 19th Century
Located in MARSEILLE, FR
Beautiful sideboard at support height in marquetry of different types of diamond-shaped wood, with rich gilded bronze ornamentation and a Wedgewood p...
Marble, Bronze
Antique French Napoleon III Ebony Ormolu Marble Sevres Porcelain Credenza 1860
Located in Portland, OR
A fine antique French Napoleon III burl inlaid with a marble top and ormolu mounted credenza/cabinet, inset with a Sevres porcelain portrait ...
Ormolu
Near Pair of Mahogany Consoles Dessertes by Maison Grohé, French, circa 1860
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A near pair of mahogany consoles Dessertes with exceptional gilt bronze Ram’s Head Mounts, by Maison Grohé. Stamped ‘GROHÉ / A PARIS’. Grohé, Guill...
Bronze
Napoleon III bonheur du jour secretary desk in wood and marquetry
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Large Napoleon III "bonheur du jour" secretary desk. The structure is made of solid wood and ebonized veneer. The upper section features two hinged doors opening onto shelves, while ...
Wood, Ivory, Tortoise Shell
$13,300
French Oak Enfilade
Located in Woodbury, CT
French oak enfilade with three-plank top, breadboard ends and thumb moulded edge over three drawers and three paneled doors. Robust carved doors se...
Oak
19th Century Tall French Dessert Buffet
Located in High Point, NC
19th century tall oak dessert buffet from France. The top is banded and has a beveled and carved edge around the top, following down to paneled sides and two paneled and hand carved ...
Oak
Napoleon III Buffet, Restored Wood with Brass & Marble Accents, France
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Dresse d'appui Napoléon III ouvrant à une porte. Ce meuble restauré présente un décor de rubans torsadés faits de laiton, palissandre et nacre dans un fond de poirier noirci. Les qua...
Marble, Carrara Marble, Brass
French Two-Door Fruitwood Buffet
Located in Woodbury, CT
Two drawers over two shaped and recessed panel doors are the traditional arrangement for buffets and this one doesn’t disappoint. Even more delightful is the fact that the scalloped ...
Fruitwood
19th Century French Second Empire Period Marble Top Buffet
Located in Dallas, TX
19th Century French Second Empire Period marble top buffet is a timeless example of the magnificent furnishings that emanated from France during t...
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Napoleon III Period Walnut Buffet with Carrara Marble
Located in Dallas, TX
19th Century French Napoleon III period walnut buffet with carrara marble reflects a fascinating period in French history when all the styles were revived, including the timeless neo...
Carrara Marble
Monbro - Important Meuble D'appui Napoleon III
Located in BARSAC, FR
Georges Alphonse Bonifacio Monbro (1807, 1884) known as MONBRO AINE Exceptional harmoniously curved meuble d'appui with moving shapes opening two large doors with geometric marquetry...
Bronze
Large French Buffet, 19th Century, Carved Fruitwood and Marble Top
Located in Madrid, ES
Large French Buffet, 19th Century Carved fruitwood and marble top Dimensions: 260 x 150 x 65 cm Impressive 19th-century French historicist-style buffet, crafted from finely carved f...
Fruitwood
Important Pair of Napoleon III Dressers with Hunting Decor
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Important pair of Napoleon III dressers with hunting decor.
Wood, Amboyna
Antique French Napoleon III Curly Walnut Vassallier Buffet c. Mid 1800s
Located in Westfield, MA
This mid-19th century French Napoleon III vassalier buffet, crafted from striking curly walnut, exemplifies the sophisticated design and meticulous craftsmanship of the period. The t...
Walnut
Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze Mounted Mahogany Buffet by Maison Grohé, circa 1860
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A large and impressive Napoléon III gilt-bronze mounted mahogany buffet with a rouge marble top, by Maison Grohé. French, circa 1860. Stamped twice...
Bronze
19th Century French Provencal Bleached Oak Buffet Cabinet
Located in Split, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
French Provincial Painted Oak Buffet, France, 19th Century Folk ornament and gentle patina — a poetic fragment of rural French life. This charming painted oak buffet captures the sp...
Oak
French 19th Century Cabinet Confiturier
Located in Stockbridge, GA
This buffet confiturier is in the style of Henri II, rich in carvings. Buffet confiturier means a cabinet with 1 door that was in the 19th century generally used in the kitchen.
Oak
$3,834
H 38.39 in W 48.23 in D 23.63 in
19th Century Pine Italian Chest Of Drawers / Commode / Dresser
Located in Viterbo, VT
Neoclassical commode hand-crafted in the Lazio region of Italy in the early 1800/ using pine. The commode is very simple in lines, has beautiful color and character and an elegant co...
Pine
Provincial Buffet in Stripped Oak, France, Late 19th Century
Located in Split, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
Provincial Buffet in Stripped Oak, France, Late 19th Century Channeling the softened contours of provincial Louis XV ornament An ode to rustic refinement, this late 19th-century Fre...
Oak
19th Century French Provencal Bleached Oak Buffet Cabinet
Located in Split, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
Folk ornament and gentle patina — a poetic fragment of rural French life. This charming painted oak buffet captures the spirit of French provincial craftsmanship, where everyday fur...
Oak
Antique French, Louis XVI Chest of Drawers Commode Buffet Bar
Located in Senonches, Centre-Val de Loire
Antique French Louis XVI style bar buffet topped with a white Carrara marble, fluted legs finished with golden bronze clogs. One dovetailed drawer, two doors and a practical storage ...
Carrara Marble
French 19th Century Mahogany Empire Buffet
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A French Empire (19th century) buffet made of rich flamed, bookmatched mahogany. The original Saint Anne marble top of charcoal stone with gray and white veining is removable. Below ...
Marble, Brass
$5,460
H 35 in W 49.5 in D 21.5 in
French Napoleon III Buffet Cabinet with Its Original Marble Top, circa 1820
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Napoleon III buffet, with its original marble top, from the early 19th century. This antique console from France, circa 1820's, features its original marble top over a case which houses a single drawer at top, over a pair of doors (with right door fitted with a single wreath shaped brass escutcheon), and flanked within column form front side posts with decorative brass capitals. The doors open to reveal a single shelf within and plentiful storage. The skirt is clean and linear, with sides having a recessed panel design each. The cabinet is raised on thickly rounded front legs...
Marble
$3,800Sale Price|20% Off
H 43 in W 30.5 in D 14.75 in
19th Century French Napoleon III "Entre Deux" Cabinet
Located in Austin, TX
Presenting a stunning 19th Century French Napoleon III "Entre Deux" Cabinet, a remarkable example of the elegance and craftsmanship characteristic of the Napoleon III era. This exqui...
Marble
19th Century English Commode / Chest of Drawers
Located in Pomona, CA
A George lV English Bow Front Chest of 4 Drawers. Exceptional wood grain to the front. Satinwood Inlaid stripe on the top front edge and standing on splayed bracket feet. Dovetail jo...
Mahogany
French 19th Century Chest of Drawers - Commode
Located in Greenwich, CT
A French Empire Period Fruitwwod commode or chest of drawers of rectangular shape, the three drawers raised on gilt wood paw feet, with Empire bronze escutcheons and pulls , having ...
Fruitwood
19th Century French Oak Buffet With Marble Top
Located in High Point, NC
This 19th Century French oak buffet with marble top offers a distinguished balance of utility and understated elegance. Crafted from solid oak, the ...
Marble
Large Carved Oak Sideboard, Napoleon III Style
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
This large oak sideboard in the Napoleon III style features an architectural structure and richly detailed carved decoration. The upper section includes four glazed doors framed by f...
Oak
Sold
H 42.13 in W 33.08 in D 17.33 in
French Napoleon III Cabinet Buffet Entrée Black Ormolu, Belgian Black Marble
By Napoléon III
Located in Valladolid, ES
Amazing and unique French Napoleon III Entrée, 19th century. High corpuscular leather in polished ebony veneer over solid softwood. The front is articulated with a wide door centered...
Belgian Black Marble, Ormolu
Sold
H 31.5 in W 51.97 in D 20.87 in
Napoleon III Style French Buffet Chest of drawers wood bronze black marble
Located in Valladolid, ES
Outstanding and one of a kind French Napoleon III style sideboard in exotic and precious woods such as rosewood. Counter top in black marble and bronze throughout its presentation. I...
Marble, Bronze
Sold
H 146.86 in W 153.55 in D 29.93 in
19th Century Monumental Carved Walnut Mirrored French Buffet by Guéret Frères
Located in Baambrugge, NL
An important and monumental-sized carved Walnut mirrored French buffet by Guéret Frères, Rue Lafayette 216, Paris. Napoleon III style, between 1870 and 1877. Renowned for their exqu...
Marble, Bronze
Sold
H 31.5 in W 51.97 in D 20.87 in
Napoleon III Style French Buffet Chest of drawers wood bronze black marble
Located in Valladolid, ES
Spectacular and one of a kind French Napoleon III style sideboard in exotic and precious woods such as rosewood. Counter top in black marble and bronze throughout its presentation. I...
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Dessert Buffet
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak dessert buffet from France. the top is banded and has a beveled and hand carved edge, following down to paneled and hand carved decorated aprons on the sides and two drawers in the same style in the front of the piece. The drawers have hand carved handles in the form of branches for added design interest. There are two lower shelves, with carved and decorated edges, separated by hand turned barley twist shelf...
Oak
19th Century French Dessert Buffet
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak dessert buffet from France. The top is banded and has a beveled and carved decorated edge around the top in a nulled pattern. The top lifts to reveal a marble surface for serving which remains open with a scalloped bracket. The top follows down to paneled sides and two drawers in the front with hand carved decorated drawer fronts. The piece has two lower shelves, separated by hand turned barley twist shelf...
Marble
Napoleon III French Boulle Style Buffet or Cabinet
Located in Austin, TX
Bring a touch of elegance to your home with this superb 19th-century French Boulle buffet or cabinet, hailing from the Napoleon III period. This rare an...
Marble, Brass, Bronze
Napoleon III French Marquetry Buffet
Located in Austin, TX
An elegant console or “meuble d'entre-deux” from the Napoleon III period. This console features brass and bronze ornaments on the upper and lower corners with beautiful marquetry wor...
Brass, Bronze
Black Double Buffet Cabinet, Napoleon III, France, 19th Century
Located in Paris, FR
Rare Buffet cabinet Two pieces in Boule Marquetry in Napoleon III style. Cupboard, four doors decorated with brass Boulle marquetry, with a character motif surrounded by vaults and foliage, reproduced on each of the doors. Rich ornamentation of gilded bronzes with lion head drops at the top and flat drops at the bottom, multiple ingot molds, spandrels framing...
Marble, Bronze, Brass
Antique French Napoleon III Style Buffet Signed Soubrier, Paris
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Antique Napoleon III style mahogany buffet with bronze mounts and marble top, circa 1890's. With a 1.25" thick elongated D shaped white marble top, over two front pull out drawers an...
Marble, Brass, Bronze
Sold
H 40.16 in W 188.98 in D 30.32 in
Grohe in Paris, Spectacular Rosewood Cabinet/Vitrine with Gilt Bronze XIXth
Located in Beaune, FR
Unique piece for this spectacular buffet signed "GROHE à Paris". Entirely in rosewood richly carved with baskets of flowers, fruits, masks of women and men, the whole decorated with ...
Marble, Bronze